SWBCC
The idea of a collected and updated version of the Star Wars: Battlefront games sounds like it could be a lot of fun. But in practice? The project from developer Aspyr has been…received less than enthusiastically by fans.
There were server issues right at launch, where for a time, there were only three, 64 players servers online for some reason trying to manage almost 10,000 players on Steam trying to get in. More were spooled up over time, but it was unclear why it would have launched in that state.
Then there’s the issue that the port is often simply not very good. Multiplayer is locked to 30 FPS, there are missing Battlefront 2 cutscenes, aim assist is poor, you cannot invert flight controls, there are audio and lighting issues. In all, the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection is launching without many significant upgrades something like this should have, and it’s even missing features and content from the originals.
From the servers to the other issues, this has led the Battlefront collection to launch with Mostly Negative reviews on Steam, with only 21% being positive. Strangely, this is different from the few scored critic reviews that are in, which has the game sitting at an 83%, with all reviews at an 8-8.5, but there are only five reviews in, and on the PS5 version which may have had less trouble. Some impressions from other creators have also been positive. Here’s GamingBolt’s conclusion:
“Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection showcases how a streamlined yet content-packed shooter can still stand out today.”
Can this all be fixed for the wider playerbase? The server issues appear to be resolving, though the other problems here would need additional patching and post-launch support. Locking multiplayer to 30 fps for old titles like this is untenable for some. It absolutely feels like they need to patch in what content is literally missing from the game, and to insert obviously needed options like inverted flight controls.
If and when all this happens, it may be a different story, but right now, despite some positive impressions, it is likely time to wait to buy it until these issues are sorted. If they’re not? Then it’s probably going to be a skip. As ever, this keeps happening with a host of re-releases, remakes and remasters where it is incredibly hard to get it right, and many companies do not seem to be interested in investing the time and money it takes to do so, content to make fixes after the game has already been sold.
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